Star Catcher is preparing its Protostar orbiter for launch on the SpaceX Transporter-18 mission in October. The company’s goal is to transfer measurable amounts of energy optically between two spacecraft that are not connected to each other. This is not a completed experiment yet. We have previously covered the same rocket mission to test artificial intelligence hardware in space; Protostar, on the other hand, focuses on the power needs of the satellites, not the processor.
In the planned order, Protostar will release a small CubeSat once it reaches orbit and its initial checks are completed. It will then monitor this second vehicle and direct light onto the standard solar panels on it. The company aims to demonstrate that existing panels can produce energy without requiring special new hardware on the receiving end. The success of the experiment will be measured by how precisely the sent light can be directed to the target and how much usable electricity is generated in the receiver.
Star Catcher’s long-term idea is to build some kind of energy infrastructure in Earth orbit. While one satellite reaches sunlight, another satellite may remain in the shadow or its solar panel may be insufficient for powerful loads. The company aims to stretch this limit by making optical transmission from energy-harvesting vehicles to others. But there are significant scale and reliability differences between a prototype trial and a continuously operating orbital network.
The company has previously conducted optical energy transfer tests on the ground. It also tested software for identifying and tracking spacecraft in orbit on a separate mission called Sextant Alpha. Protostar is described as the first vehicle to bring these together in a single end-to-end experiment. In addition, it should not be forgotten that the launch schedule depends on the rocket missions; The planting target in the announcement is not the exact departure day or success date.
Which steps will be decisive in the experiment?
First, Protostar will need to settle into orbit safely and turn on its systems. Next will be releasing the CubeSat, tracking it, and pointing the optical transmitter at the target. In the last step, measurable power production from solar panels will be sought. Each stage is a separate technical exam. Keeping the target steady is more difficult than ground displays, especially when two independent vehicles are in motion.
Star Catcher says that if such a transfer occurs, it would be the first optical power transmission between two free-flying spacecraft. This claim remains a target until the result is announced. There is no definitive table of results in the company’s announcement for the amount of power, distance and total efficiency to be transferred in the experiment. Therefore, it is not possible to calculate how many times longer commercial satellites will operate today.
After Protostar, development work on a second vehicle aimed at transmitting power at an operational level has begun. The company is also talking about commercial power purchase agreements with space companies. These agreements do not prove that the technical system provides routine service in orbit; shows possible customer demand. For real use, issues such as repeatability of transmission, safe routing and compatibility with different receiver panels will be resolved.
In space missions, energy is often limited to the solar panel area they can carry. The news value of the protostar experiment lies in the attempt to change this limit by getting power from another satellite. The launch in October and the measurements to be shared afterwards will show how far the distance between the idea and a working orbital service is.